2014 Confirmed BRZ changes

[congee]

Compared my 2013 with a friends 2014. One change I did notice is the dongle mic is gone on the 2014. Looks like they hid the mic beside the dome light.

[Burrcold]

Originally Posted by congee

Compared my 2013 with a friends 2014. One change I did notice is the dongle mic is gone on the 2014. Looks like they hid the mic beside the dome light.

That change is for Canada only. It's been in the headliner for US spec vehicles since '13MY

[SirBrass]

I have a 2014 limited & just assumed I wouldn't be able to do a rear camera with the stock HU (for the first time, I like it & want to keep it). If I actually CAN, this is great!

Also, it's not the subaru HU which sucks... Well, except for the clarion-made ones that come w/ the premium WRX 's & STi' s... It's the awful door woofers & rear speakers. Making a normal woofer carry all the bass & only the bass is a terrible sound decision & reduces bass response to pure boom & mud, Yuck!

My audio installer & I have already priced out a sweet solution using the stock HU & an Audio Control LC-2 & JL 5 channel amp. Forget oem audio+... This is going to be a sweeter setup.

Just glad pioneer is handling subaru's HU's. There's potential there, unlike the junk boxes clarion made.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk

[davesbrz]

Originally Posted by davesbrz

Thanks for the update/correction - looks like the promo you mentioned from Subaru Drive magazine is still online:
Subaru Drive magazine - Summer 2013 issue - page 4

Maybe its worth mentioning to them that a correction is in order?
Subaru Drive editors' "Contact Us" page = http://drive.subaru.com/Contact-Us.aspx

Here's a follow-up FYI,
I finally got around to contacting Subaru to query about the promo in Drive magazine and they got back to me right away. Here is their last response to our email exchange:

Thank you for taking the time to contact me. Since my reply to your original message earlier today, I have received contacts from the Publisher of "Drive Magazine" and our Product Management Department.

The Product Management Department confirmed that the 2014 BRZ models are not equipped with knee pads. In response to this message, I advised them of your suggestion that we retrofit the 2014 BRZ models with the knee pads. They will take your recommendation under consideration. If this is offered in the future for 2014 BRZ models, we will notify our 2014 BRZ owners.

The Publisher of "Drive Magazine" thanked you for your suggestion for a retraction. He advised that when the Summer 2013 issue of "Drive Magazine" was sent for printing, it was still planned to offer the 2014 BRZ models with knee pads. This was a late change to the 2014 BRZ models with the decision being made too late to change the information in that issue of "Drive Magazine."

If you need any future assistance, please let us know.

Sincerely,

Xxxxxxx
Subaru of America, Inc.
Customer/Dealer Services Department
1-800-SUBARU3 (1-800-782-2783

[Burrcold]

Originally Posted by davesbrz

Here's a follow-up FYI,
I finally got around to contacting Subaru to query about the promo in Drive magazine and they got back to me right away. Here is their last response to our email exchange:

Thank you for taking the time to contact me. Since my reply to your original message earlier today, I have received contacts from the Publisher of "Drive Magazine" and our Product Management Department.

The Product Management Department confirmed that the 2014 BRZ models are not equipped with knee pads. In response to this message, I advised them of your suggestion that we retrofit the 2014 BRZ models with the knee pads. They will take your recommendation under consideration. If this is offered in the future for 2014 BRZ models, we will notify our 2014 BRZ owners.

The Publisher of "Drive Magazine" thanked you for your suggestion for a retraction. He advised that when the Summer 2013 issue of "Drive Magazine" was sent for printing, it was still planned to offer the 2014 BRZ models with knee pads. This was a late change to the 2014 BRZ models with the decision being made too late to change the information in that issue of "Drive Magazine."

If you need any future assistance, please let us know.

Sincerely,

Xxxxxxx
Subaru of America, Inc.
Customer/Dealer Services Department
1-800-SUBARU3 (1-800-782-2783

Nice to see an actual thought out response from a manufacturer. It's exactly what I figured, the knee pads were planned but scrapped after the issue was distributed.

No big deal, I just went out and bought knee pads. Now I have the REAL '14 model lol.

[Sport-Tech]

Way to go Subie - too cheap to even spring for $10 knee pads! Stay classy Subaru.

Time to start a thread on the 2015... hopefully we'll see some actual advances next year. Like the 268 hp turbo'ed 2.0l 4 just announced for the 2014 WRX - coming in a BRZ STI?

[davesbrz]

I agree with Burrcold - For me, it was really nice to see prompt personal responses from the Customer/Dealer Service dept mgr in the same day and he went ahead and made inquiries on my behalf as well.

The pads are available from JPM or Toyota/Scion so not a big deal.
I would assume that the "revised badging" in the promo refers to the steering wheel emblem color change, not a change in the rear badges as in OP.

[nalc]

Originally Posted by SirBrass

I have a 2014 limited & just assumed I wouldn't be able to do a rear camera with the stock HU (for the first time, I like it & want to keep it). If I actually CAN, this is great!

Also, it's not the subaru HU which sucks... Well, except for the clarion-made ones that come w/ the premium WRX 's & STi' s... It's the awful door woofers & rear speakers. Making a normal woofer carry all the bass & only the bass is a terrible sound decision & reduces bass response to pure boom & mud, Yuck!

My audio installer & I have already priced out a sweet solution using the stock HU & an Audio Control LC-2 & JL 5 channel amp. Forget oem audio+... This is going to be a sweeter setup.

Just glad pioneer is handling subaru's HU's. There's potential there, unlike the junk boxes clarion made.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk

Backup camera is plug-n-play with a camera that works on 6v and the ae64.com harness. The wiring between the transmission and the HU is there, just need the camera.

[SirBrass]

Originally Posted by Sport-Tech

Way to go Subie - too cheap to even spring for $10 knee pads! Stay classy Subaru.

Time to start a thread on the 2015... hopefully we'll see some actual advances next year. Like the 268 hp turbo'ed 2.0l 4 just announced for the 2014 WRX - coming in a BRZ STI?

Yeah.... not likely. The WRX motor is different. We've got a port AND direct injection system, while the WRX has a purely subaru motor without Toyota designed injection. Still FA20 based, but it isn't the Toyota/Subaru collaboration that ours is.

Also, this car was designed to be a 200hp car. We simply add power b/c we want to have it, not because the design demands it. So, good luck with the pipe dream of Subaru increasing the bhp on the motor by a full 68hp just b.c we want it. Isn't going to happen and doesn't need to happen. Want more power? You can get it fairly easily. To go up in power, the cost of the vehicle is going to go up, as is the insurance to insure it, 2 things which will price the car out of its targeted slot of being a sub-$30k sports car.

[Sport-Tech]

Originally Posted by SirBrass

Also, this car was designed to be a 200hp car. We simply add power b/c we want to have it, not because the design demands it. So, good luck with the pipe dream of Subaru increasing the bhp on the motor by a full 68hp just b.c we want it. Isn't going to happen and doesn't need to happen. Want more power? You can get it fairly easily. To go up in power, the cost of the vehicle is going to go up, as is the insurance to insure it, 2 things which will price the car out of its targeted slot of being a sub-$30k sports car.

Thus my comment about an STI model. I'm certainly not expecting Subaru to abandon its current BRZ market, just expand its options. Other than the brutish quasi-muscle car known as the 370Z there is really no rwd sports car competitor for a mid-$30K STI variant with about 250HP out there. They'd sell like hotcakes.

[SirBrass]

Doubt we'll get an STI model until they start rally racing or road racing with a Subaru team.

Not sure they'd sell like hotcakes either. The STI sells way less than the WRX, also for the same reasons a BRZ STI wouldn't sell well either. Subaru already has a mid $30k performance vehicle in the STI, and another (even with it being RWD instead of AWD) wouldn't help things.

Maybe if the Toyota GT86 rally car starts doing well in WRC with the teams which decide to run it, then we might start hearing things about an STI'd/TRD'd rally-ready BRZ. But expect significant insurance increases as well as a stiff mid-$30k price tag (which means a final price tag nearer to $40k than $30k).

[DeepHunta]

Originally Posted by Sportsguy83

All Hail our GBS Mafia King Leader, @Laika .Our Mafia just got that much more exclusive.

YUP YUP! GBS mafia is strong! I'm glad I got mine. Was really debating on the white too.

Now let's make a GBS Mafia decal

[Sport-Tech]

Originally Posted by SirBrass

The STI sells way less than the WRX, also for the same reasons a BRZ STI wouldn't sell well either. Subaru already has a mid $30k performance vehicle in the STI, and another (even with it being RWD instead of AWD) wouldn't help things.

But unlike a potential BRZ STI the WRX STI does have direct competition eating into its sales - obviously the Evo, but also the Golf R, and there are probably a few other midsize AWDs that could be added to this list like the A3.

Sit in/drive a WRX STI and you instantly realize it's not really in competition with a potential BRZ STI, any more than the BRZ competes with the standard WRZ- totally different feel and practicality level.

[tranat]

2014 owners, congrats on your purchase. Let us know if the chirping noise is still happening

I was just at the dealer today and they said there's no fix for yet. Curious to see if the problem still persists in the '14s